5 most disastrous January signings in Premier League history

#3 Alexis Sanchez – Arsenal to Manchester United (2018)

Alexis Sanchez just didn't look like the same player once he moved to Manchester United

Perhaps the only positive that can now be said about Alexis Sanchez’s move from Arsenal to Manchester United in January 2018 is that the Red Devils at least didn’t pay a transfer fee for him; in a rare straight swap, the Chilean headed to Old Trafford with Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan heading the other way.

Sanchez had been one of the Premier League’s most dynamic attackers at the Emirates, scoring a total of 60 goals for the Gunners in just 122 league appearances and providing plenty of assists, too. But if United had been expecting the move to work out in a similar fashion to that of Robin Van Persie – who moved from Arsenal to Old Trafford in 2012 – they were sorely mistaken.

It’s still hard to put a finger on quite what went wrong for Sanchez at United; handed a bumper contract that paid him £400,000 per week, it was as if the Chilean simply couldn’t be bothered at times, and he barely resembled the player he’d been at Arsenal. By the time 2017-18 ended with him scoring just 3 goals for his new club, it felt written in stone that he’d go down as an all-time bad transfer.

Sanchez continued to struggle in his second season at Old Trafford, failing to make an impact under both Jose Mourinho and his replacement Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. When he moved to Inter Milan on loan in the summer of 2019, it felt like a millstone had been removed from the Red Devils’ neck.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Prasen Moudgal